


Dad!

by Connorperry42



Category: Charmed
Genre: Diapers, Infantilism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:31:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5332586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Connorperry42/pseuds/Connorperry42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one knows who Chris is until a visitor comes from the future with all the answers. Who is this person? Why are they willing to answer all the sisters questions? What is the truth about Chris? How will Leo and Piper react? How will Chris react?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dad?

**Author's Note:**

> Alright. I just want to see how this goes. Tell me what you think.

Chris sighed as he slumped back against the cave wall. He finally finished vanquishing the demon he’d been after for three days straight now and he was exhausted. It would really be nice if the sisters would help him with some of these vanquishes but if he went to them any more than he already did then they’d stop listening to him altogether. Life sucked sometimes.

Realistically Chris knew that he needed to get up off the ground and head to the club where there was a lumpy couch waiting for him. Unfortunately there was also a noisy club that would be busy for at least another five hours. Besides, he missed the underworld, and if he remembered correctly there was a small little alcove nearby. Mind made up Chris quickly moved into his little alcove and curled up on the ground sleeping soundly for the first time in months.

Chris was lying under his mother’s bed. She’d been having one of her bad days and he found it best to just stay out of her way. He’d had a bad dream though and he always went to his mother when he had a bad dream. Over the years he’d found a system, on her good days he could go to her and on her bad days he could sleep under her bed. She never minded if she woke up and he was under the bed but she would be very upset if she woke up and he was next to her.

Lately his mother had been having more bad days than good. He didn’t blame her, this life was a difficult one and she missed her family. It was all Chris’ fault that they were down here anyway. If Wyatt hadn’t been so determined to take Chris then his mother wouldn’t have had to flee to the underworld, abandoning the rest of her family in the process.

Chris was startled awake by voices yelling his name. He groaned; he was finally sleeping! Oh well, time to go.

“CHRIS!” Piper shrieked just as said person was orbing in.

Chris looked at his mother, or, his future mother and held in a sigh. “You called?”

“Yes,” Piper nodded. “We have a few questions.”

“And they would be…” Chris drawled.

“I think they’re just upset about me.”

“DAD!” Chris exclaimed.

“DAD!?” Came the startled and irritated reply from three sisters and Leo.

Chris ignored the others in the room and barreled towards a smiling Cole. He’d missed his father. “What are you doing here?”

Cole smirked, “I hadn’t heard from you and wanted to make sure that you were alright. You have a tendency to overdue if not kept in check.”

Chris smiled; it felt nice to have someone care about him. “I’m doing good.”

Cole snorted, “That’s why your using glamor over your entire body?”

“Hello!” Piper called. “Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?”

“Chris is evil.” Leo stated simply. Really, as far as Leo could tell Chris had to be evil what with Cole as his father.

“Are you insane?” Cole asked incredulously. “Chris is anything but evil.”

Leo scoffed, “Right, this coming from his father.”

“Wait, how is he not evil if you are his father?” Phoebe asked curiously.

“Because his birth father is an ass but he isn’t evil.” Cole explained.

“Birth father?” Paige asked skeptically.

“Yes.” Cole confirmed. “His birth father might have been an angel to the world but he was an ass to his youngest child.”

“Dad!” Chris scolded, smacking Cole in the stomach.

“An angel…” Phoebe said then it clicked. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding. There’s no way!”

“What?” Piper asked curiously.

“How did we not see it?” Paige exclaimed.

“How did we not see what?!” Leo demanded.

“Nothing.” Chris insisted.

“Chris.” Cole admonished.

“No!” Chris said. “You can’t.”

“Well it’s not like two of us haven’t figured it out already.” Paige said.

“Figured what out?” Leo asked.

“Somebody tell me what is going on here.” Piper screamed.

“Oh come on.” Paige insisted. “He looks just like a male Piper but with Leo’s eyes and his father-“

“Birth father” Cole stressed.

Paige sent Cole a glare, “father is an angle.”

“Wait you think…” Piper started but stopped, thinking through what Paige had just said. She turned to take a good look at Chris, “You’re mine?”

Chris glared at Phoebe, Paige and Cole before turning back to Piper. He shrugged, “Not for about seventeen more years.”

Piper stepped closer to Chris. She could see it now. “You’re my baby aren’t you?”

“I thought we just covered that.” Phoebe said.

“She means that he’s our youngest.” Leo cut in as he too stepped towards Chris.

Chris moved away from his mother and Leo choosing to hide behind Cole instead. “Look, this is nice and all but we’ve got to go.”

“Oh no you don’t.” Piper said. “You mister are going to sit down and explain.”

Chris looked over to Cole for support, “Dad, we can’t.”

“I thought I was your father.” Louis said simply.

It was Chris’ turn to scoff, “He said you were my birth father not my actual father.”

Leo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Being your birth father makes me your father.”

“No.” Cole stepped backward to stand beside Chris and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I am his father. I was there when Chris was sick or when he was hurt or when he was scared at night. I was there through the good and the bad and I will always be there for him.”

“I have a hard time believing that I let you anywhere near my children let alone my youngest.” Piper said as she moved forward and reached out to Chris but the boy shrunk behind Cole.

“Yes well you didn’t plan on it.” Cole said. “You just didn’t have a lot of friends in the underworld and with a hyperactive three year old to think about…”

“Why did I have a three year old in the underworld?” Piper demanded to know.

“How much has he told them?” Cole asked.

“Next to nothing.” Piper answered. “Too busy worried about future consequences.”

“That statement still applies.” Chris responded annoyed. “How could you tell them?”

“You know I’m not answering that or any other question from you until I can actually talk to the real you.” Cole replied.

“What do you mean the real him?” Leo asked.

“He’s glamored himself.” Cole answered.

“Why would you do that?” Piper asked Chris.

“Because.” Was the only answer that Chris gave.

Cole sighed; he was going to get nothing out of the boy here. “Chris, we’re heading out and then you will unglamore yourself understood?”

“Yes sir.” Chris sighed.

“No.” Piper said.

“Chris isn’t going anywhere.” Leo stated.

Chris rolled his eyes and took Cole’s hand. They started to orb out when Chris suddenly felt his power to orb being pulled away from him. “Give it back.” He snapped, glaring at Leo.

“I said you weren’t leaving.” Leo stated calmly.

“Wait.” Phoebe interrupted, “What did you just do?”

“He took my orbing.” Chris growled.

Cole sighed, “Regardless, we’re still leaving.”

“NO!” Piper demanded. “My son is staying under my roof even if I have to cast a spell to see to it.”

Cole would have happily tested Piper on that if he didn’t know already that the woman would keep to her word. Chris though was becoming agitated and he needed to get the boy out of here before something happened.

Hoping that he was quicker than Piper Cole started to flame out of the room.

Piper already had a spell in mind and quickly recited it even before Cole started to flame her baby boy away from her.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Cole said firmly. Chris didn’t do well when he was trapped somewhere, especially if it was somewhere he didn’t want to be.


	2. Freak Out

Chris freaked. He couldn’t orb and now he couldn’t leave. Being trapped someplace was dangerous. It could be deadly. And then Leo was there, swimming in his view. This wasn’t good. Then Phoebe and Paige came into view as well. No, no, no, no. They weren’t good people to be trapped in a room with.

Cole watched in pain as Chris started to freak out. He knew what was coming. It had happened before and, based on the way Chris treated himself, it would happen again. “Brace yourselves.”

“What?” Piper asked confused. “Why?”

Before Cole could answer the entire room started to shake. Paige ducked as a lamp flew by her head, The TV next to Leo blew into pieces. The entire place was in chaos for almost ten minutes and then as suddenly as it started everything stopped.

Phoebe looked around at the wreckage of the manor. Whatever happened had sent everything in the manor falling to the ground, flying across the rooms or bursting into pieces. “What just happened?”

Cole was kneeling by his son, “Chris was trapped.”

“He did all of this because he wasn’t allowed to leave?” Paige asked in disbelief.

“Yes.” Cole answered simply.

Chris groaned and blinked, looking above him. “What happened?”

“You were trapped.” Cole said.

“Not again.” Chris sighed. He was exhausted, physically, mentally and his powers weren’t happy with him.

Cole looked Chris over. The glamour had finally dropped which was both good and bad. As much as he hated to ask, the blood that was forming on the side of Chris’ shirt made it necessary. “Leo would you mind healing Chris?”

That shook everyone out of their surprised stupor. “Of course.” Leo said rushing over.

Chris saw Leo hurrying over to him and bolted in the opposite direction.

“Chris?” Leo asked hurt. Why would his son run away from him?

Cole had expected Chris’ reaction. The poor boy was tired and in pain. He probably wasn’t completely cognizant of where – or when - he was. Leo coming at him wasn’t going to go over well with Chris. “Whoa there.”

“Dad. Let me go.” Chris insisted.

“You’re bleeding buddy,” Cold tried to soothe. “I need you to let him heal you.”

“He doesn’t even like me.” Chris argued, “Why would he want to heal me?”

That crushed Leo but he never got the chance to talk.

“Hey,” Cole shushed. “Have I ever let anything happen to you?”

Chris calmed down a little and looked at Cole. “I don’t trust him.”

“I’ll be there the entire time.” Cole promised. “You can even sit on my lap if you want.”

Chris debated his options. He couldn’t leave, his dad was here and he was in pain. Instead of giving a verbal answer Chris turned himself into his father’s chest and nodded his head.

Cole smiled softly; his son was a little boy at heart. He scooped Chris up and sat down on the couch and placed the boy on his lap as promised. “Leo, if you would.”

Leo didn’t like the fact that Chris was so close to Cole or that his son was sitting on Cole’s lap. That didn’t matter at the moment though because it was painfully obvious that Chris wasn’t going to let Leo heal him unless he was sitting on Cole’s lap.

“It will go faster if I can see what his injuries are.” Leo said as he took a seat next to Chris and Cole on the couch.

Cole nodded. He knew this but that didn’t make what he was about to do any easier. “Hey buddy,” he soothed, rubbing Chris’ back. “I’m just gonna slip your shirt off alright?”

Chris shook his head no but knew that his dad wouldn’t take that as an answer. He didn’t fight it when his shirt was tugged up over his arms and head. When he heard the four gasps he quickly buried his face in his favorite place, between his dad’s head and shoulders. He felt his dad rub his back again and tensed when Leo came near but didn’t fight the healing.

Leo couldn’t believe the state his son’s body was in. “How could you let this happen to him?”

“This wasn’t by choice Leo.” Cole snarled. “I’d never let anything happen to my son. Unfortunately you, Paige and Phoebe don’t share my concerns.”

“Hey!” Phoebe objected. “We would never put our nephew in danger. Putting someone in danger is your area of expertise.”

Chris snorted at that and brought his arms up to grip his dad’s neck but otherwise remained silent.

“What was that supposed to mean?” Paige asked.

Cole shushed Chris and then turned to the others. “Look, I’ll explain everything,” he promised. “But first I need to get my son clean, fed and put to sleep. He’s exhausted and far too skinny for my liking.”

Piper hated to wait for answers but she had to agree. Chris needed to be taken care of first. “I’ll draw him a bath.”

“Shower.” Chris objected.

“Are you sure?” Cole asked.

Chris nodded his head but refused to move it from it’s current position.

“But you’ve never had a bath before.” Cole tried, “You never know, you might like it.”

“What do you mean he’s never had a bath before?” Piper questioned. “That’s ridiculous.”

“He was raised in the underworld.” Cole explained calmly. “There were no bathtubs in the cave.”

“I miss home.” Chris butted in.

“You are home Chris.” Leo said sadly. He brought his hand up to take over Cole’s job of rubbing Chris’ back but Chris flinched out of Leo’s way.

“He means he misses the cave.” Cole explained. Seeing objections coming he cut them off. “A bath will be wonderful Piper. If someone would just tell me where his clothes are.”

“I’ll get them.” Paige offered as she orbed out.

“Shower.” Chris repeated.

Cole just patted Chris’ back as he stood up with the boy in his arms. He hated that Chris was so light but it did make things easier when it came to carrying the kid. “I promise you’ll like it.”

“No.” Chris insisted but it was a mute point as he was being carried up the stairs towards Piper’s bathroom.

“It’s all set.” Piper said upon their entrance. “Is he alright?”

“Yeah.” Cole chuckled. “Just doesn’t want to take a bath. He can be a bit grumpy when he’s tired.”

“Is this a good day or a bad one?” Chris questioned, looking up at Piper through half lidded eyes.

“What?” Piper asked.

“It’s a good day bud.” Cole answered. He would explain that later.

Chris nodded and then started wriggling around until he was let out of Cole’s grasp. He walked over to the tub and started to pull the plug.

“Oh no you don’t.” Cole admonished stopping Chris. “You’re taking a bath.”

“Shower.” Chris repeated.

“Sweetheart why don’t you want to take a bath?” Piper asked.

“Shower” Chris said.

“He’s a little monosyllabic when he’s tired.” Cole explained as he started to take the rest of Chris’ clothes off the struggling boy. “Now it’s bath time.”

Chris scowled as he was lowered into the tub. He didn’t like being forced into a bowl full of water. He had to admit though that the warm water was soothing to his aching and strained muscles. Against his will Chris let out a sigh as he leaned back in the tub.

Cole chuckled, “Like it?”

Chris shrugged and looked around, “How…?”

“Just tilt your head back.” Cole instructed. Piper took the hint and filled a cup with water.

Bathing Chris was easier than Piper had expected. The boy had loved getting his head messaged with shampoo and conditioner. The only protest was given when it came to washing the more private areas.

Cole lifted Chris out of the water once he was bathed and Piper brought over two fluffy towels, handing one to Cole. She wasn’t the man’s number one fan but Chris trusted him, was calm around him. Like it or not Piper needed Cole for the moment.

After Chris was dressed he started heading out of the room and towards the attic stairs. “Oh, no.” Cole objected picking the kid up.

“No.” Chris protested as he struggled in Cole’s hold.

“It’s dinnertime” Cole stated. Chris pulled a face and Cole chuckled a bit, “I promise it’ll be something good.”

“Of course it’ll be good.” Piper said a little offended, “Why wouldn’t it be good.”

Cole just shook his head. That was another thing he’d need to explain later. For the time being though Chris was his number one priority. He walked into the kitchen and turned to Piper, “I don’t suppose you could fix something quick but filling?”

“Absolutely.” Piper agreed, “What does he like best?”

“No” Chris objected.

“Anything will be fine.” Cole replied. As he waited for Piper to finish Cole sat down in a kitchen chair and adjusted Chris in his lap. The boy was exhausted and was practically out by the time Piper placed a plate in front of him.

Cole patted Chris on the back, “Come on bud, you need to eat.”

“No” Chris complained. “boring”

“It’s not boring” Cole said, “It’s fruit and a sandwich”

“What?” Chris asked.

“Just try a bite. I think you’ll like banana.” Cole suggested bringing a forkful of banana up to Chris’ mouth.

Chris frowned, “Banana?”

Piper stood there in concern as she watched the interaction between the two. Why was Cole explaining to Chris what a banana was? As she sat there her concern only grew. Cole basically had to feed Chris himself and Chris was confused as to what the different food items were. Why wouldn’t Chris knew what turkey was? Or what cheese or bread were? How would her son not know what strawberries were or kiwi – though Chris didn’t seem to like the kiwi.

About halfway through his meal Chris refused to eat anymore. He was full and, though it tasted good, he just couldn’t stomach anymore food.

“Alright,” Cole conceded putting the fork down. “You win.”

“He hardly ate.” Piper objected.

“He’s not used to so much.” Cole explained.

That hurt Piper. Her son had been living in the past for almost a year now and he was skin and bones. She was a chef. How could she let that happen?

“Well,” Cole said standing up, “I think it’s bedtime for little boys.”

“No.” Chris complained.

Cole didn’t listen, just stood up and started carrying Chris up the stairs. “Is it alright if he stays in your room?”

“Sure.” Piper agreed.

The trio made their way into Piper’s room and Cole set Chris down. Piper made to turn down the bed but Chris was quicker, he dropped to the floor and slid under the bed.

Cole sighed, “You want a pillow, or a blanket?”

“No” Chris replied.

“Chris, come o…” Piper started but Cole stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Let’s go downstairs and talk.” Cole said.

“But he’s un…”

“I know” Cole sighed, “Let’s go talk. It’ll make sense. I promise.”


	3. Chris' Life

Begrudgingly Piper followed Cole out of her room and joined the rest of her family in the sitting room. Piper moved to join her sisters on the couch, Leo sat in an armchair and Wyatt was in his playpen.

“Alright” Piper started. “I want answers. Lots and lots of answers.”

Cole looked directly at Piper. “I’ll answer all of your questions but first let me talk. Let me tell you what I know about your son and stay silent.”

Piper willingly agreed to that. She wanted to know everything she could.

“The first part I only know based on what I was told. There could be other parts to it I don’t know.” Cole started. “As Wyatt grew up he was a… difficult child. He was sweet when he wanted to be but he had a dark side to him as well. One thing he wanted desperately though was a little brother. Or even a male cousin. He had two younger sisters and seven cousins who were all females. Wyatt wanted another boy in the bunch. When Piper became pregnant Wyatt had held out hope. When the ultrasound showed that Chris was a boy Wyatt was ecstatic. He stopped disappearing for days on end and started spending all his time with Piper getting ready for the baby. Piper tried to explain that Chris was his little brother, not his personal property but Wyatt didn’t seem to fully understand that based on the way he acted and talked. To make matters worse Chris was born on Wyatt’s eighteenth birthday.”

“Eighteenth birthday?” Leo interrupted. “That’s a powerful birthday to be born on.”

“Yes.” Cole grit out, annoyed at the interruption.

“Wait” Paige said, “Why is the eighteenth important.”

“Because it’s the birthday where a witch fully comes into their powers. It’s rumored that anyone in the immediate family who is also born on that day will be blessed.” Leo explained.

“Correct. Now if you don’t mind.” Cole said. He waited for the quick apologies to be spurt out before continuing. “Chris is the son of the oldest charmed one, an elder and born on the eighteenth birthday of the twice blessed. He is thrice blessed.”

Everyone took in the implication of that statement. Chris was one powerful kid if that were the case.

“When he was born Wyatt was elated. He doted on Chris. He considered Chris to be born specifically for him, his birthday present. No one stopped Wyatt when he took Chris to the nursery he’d prepared for the boy at his castle. The only one Wyatt would allow near Chris was Piper because she offered the… nourishment that Chris needed. Chris spent the first three years of his life living with Wyatt. Now as you can imagine, three year olds don’t have the best memories. Chris has some vague recollections of Wyatt playing with him or of Wyatt lifting him over his head. The catch is that Wyatt wasn’t a good person all the time, or most of the time. One day he screwed up and killed an innocent in front of Chris, rather violently. The three year old was scared and instantly orbed to the only other person he had ever known – Piper. There was mass panic at the apartment.”

“Apartment?” Phoebe asked. “What happened to the manor?”

“Wyatt turned it into a museum after Chris was born there.” Cole explained tightly. “Now, as I was saying. There was a large debate as to what to do with Chris. Everyone knew that Wyatt would come looking for the boy soon and he wouldn’t be happy if they tried to keep Chris. Piper however didn’t want Chris to be raised by the ruler of all evil. Everyone else out voted piper and so she went up to Chris and asked the boy to orb them into the underworld. Chris and Piper were sitting on her bed at the time and Chris accidentally orbed the bed as well. Piper instantly put protection charms around the bed because she didn’t know where else would be completely safe. After that all I know is that the two of you lived by orbing from place to place for about two months before you ran into me. I took the two of you to my cave and we talked. A lot. After that we spent the next four years living in relative peace in the underworld. If either of you ever went above ground you would have been caught by Wyatt immediately. It wasn’t easy raising a child in the underworld and that was added to the difficulties of finding food, stopping demons from attacking and finding clothes as well as other necessities. Needless to say it took the two of us and Chris to accomplish the task.”

Cole chuckled at some of the memories that floated into his head. “Now getting proper food in the underworld while on the run and keeping a low appearance. We were near starving when you finally came up with something. It provided the needed nutrition and the ingredients were accessible but it was rather bland. With no other options we kept eating it though. Not easy to get a three year old to eat what he came to call croop – it was his way of saying crap and poop without getting in trouble for cursing. As the years went we ate it ever day and Chris doesn’t remember eating anything else.”

“That’s why he was hesitant earlier with the sandwich and fruit” Piper said in realization.

“Correct.” Cole nodded. “Over time you became a bit upset being stuck down in the underworld away from your family. Then one of your nieces was killed. You didn’t take it well. You couldn’t even go to the funeral. That started your ‘bad days’ as Chris called them. You never wanted anyone around you on bad days. When Chris was only four he would just come to me when you had a bad day but as he got older and the number of bad days increased Chris started trying to make you feel better. He knew you were upset because of evil so he tried to vanquish as much evil as possible by killing demons in the underworld. He got into a lot of scrapes and started accruing scars. I tried to keep an eye on him but he was smart and powerful. He knew how to hide himself exceptionally well because we’d taught him.”

Cole shook his head. “Then when he was seven you were killed. We don’t know how. You were having a bad day and you had gone out, you never returned. The following morning you were dropped in an open cave, dead. Chris was devastated. That was the first time I’d ever seen him freak out. He killed every demon within a twelve-mile radius and then collapsed. It took three days before he fully recovered from that. After that the two of us continued living in the cave alone for another two years. Things got worse up top and soon other witches, white lighters and other magical beings were making the underworld their home while the demons occupied the surface. I thought it would be good for Chris to have some people to talk to other than myself so I started finding the new comers homes. Chris helped me to secure the homes and make sure that no one could find us. As I’d hoped Chris started meeting and talking to others like himself. He started to learn from others as well. I knew that he was safe with the people in the fortress we’d made and so I didn’t monitor his movements. He always came back home at night and was happy to share his days events with me. As long as he was happy so was I.”

“When Chris was twelve he had gathered a small group of people that he typically interacted with. The only concern was that they were all at least twice his age. It surprised me at first, that these people so willingly included a child in their discussions but as I sat in on the talks and listened to Chris it became obvious that he knew exactly what he was doing and was smart. He’s a genius. He helped to come up with plans and ways to keep everyone in the underworld fed and cared for. He helped come up with entrances to the compound, as we’d started to call it, he even made community areas and a place for the children. Soon though it wasn’t enough. People were dying on the surface and Chris couldn’t stand to let innocent people die. He started going up to the surface to help bring the innocents to safety or go on supply runs for clothes or other necessities. I always went with him, of course but it was still dangerous. I wish I could say that nothing ever happened but they did. I did my best to keep him safe and always made sure he was healed but it wasn’t always enough. The number of white lighters were dwindling even then and it was only getting worse by the day.”

“When Chris was fourteen the three of you showed up.” This was directed at Phoebe, Paige and Leo. “Wyatt had murdered the rest of your families and you were all that was left. You had heard of the resistance, it’s what the small group Chris had formed called themselves. You thought that you could go to the resistance and help because it was the only source of good left. It wasn’t until you got there that you learned who ran it. Needless to say you weren’t happy that the son whom you abandoned was the leader of the very group you now wished to join.”

“What do you mean?” Phoebe asked. “Why wouldn’t we be happy that it was Chris?”

“Because you didn’t want him” Cole answered. “He was never meant to be born. Then you all had voted to send him back to Wyatt and he’d left with Piper. You blamed him for Wyatt finally going over the rails and then for Piper’s death and the deaths of your entire family. To see him alive while everyone you cared about was dead hit more than one raw nerve. You did try to be civil though. It didn’t last. Not a week after having moved in you were trying to run things. It irritated you when Chris over ruled your saying. After all you were two of the charmed ones and an elder. What you said should have been law in your minds but you’d also lived under Wyatt’s protection for far too long while others suffered. Eventually you let yourselves see what he really was but by then he’d already killed three of you. You still stayed above ground for a long time trying to make peace. Eventually you admitted defeat and ran but by then your reputation was well known. No one in the resistance wanted to listen to you but were more than happy to listen to Chris and that angered you. Instead of trying to prove that you were loyal and worth listening to you thought that if you brought Chris down then they would have to obey you. It didn’t work. You told Chris about mission after mission and the boy would go because he couldn’t bear for an innocent to be in pain. Chris realized what you were doing though and hated you for it. When on missions you three put his safety at the very bottom of the list and he despised you for it. He never kicked you out though, always made sure you were healed and cared for even if he wasn’t.”

“He’s a good kid then?” Piper asked.

“He’s an amazing kid. He has a good soul.” Cole answered as only a proud father could. “I am honored to call him my son.”

“He’s not your son” Leo growled.

“I raised him.” Cole corrected.

Piper could see a fight coming and wanted to at least hold it off until after she’d gotten the whole story. “Please continue Cole.”

Cole glared at Leo but did as asked. “When Chris was fifteen he was out on a mission when Phoebe was killed. It wasn’t his fault in any way but once back Leo, you attacked Chris, blaming him for yet another lost family member. The others of the council wanted to throw you out but Chris wouldn’t allow it. Everyone was emotional after the loss of a loved one, he had said. In the end you were put on probation but nothing more. Everyone knew after that that despite appearances Chris would let nothing happen to either you or Paige. Despite how you treated him he still protected you. I never could get him to tell me why but I think it’s that Piper loved you and Chris loved Piper. Paige you were killed on a mission six months later. Leo, after that you despised Chris and everyone in the resistance made sure to keep the two of you apart as much as possible but it was no secret that whenever Chris came back from a mission with you in it he had more injuries than normal.”

“I wouldn’t” Leo objected.

“But you did.” Cole responded. “Chris never said anything though, even to me. He knew I’d see to it that you were thrown out and Chris would never allow that. As the years went on Chris became more and more important to the resistance and his abilities strengthened. He also became more closed off. His nightmares increased and his eating decreased. I had to practically force food down his throat on a number of occasions. Every so often Chris would freak out and then collapse. He would be out of commission for a few days and then pick right back up where he left off. We tried to win the war but knew it was pointless. No matter what anyone said Chris wouldn’t let anyone try to kill Wyatt, he still remembered the older brother who would lift him up and fly him around the room or who would tickle him until he felt as though he couldn’t breath. He loved Wyatt and knew Wyatt loved him and Chris was determined to save him. It took a long time but we did manage to get Leo to admit that whatever happened to Wyatt occurred before his fifth birthday and so we sent Chris back and he’s been here ever since.”

Cole sat down as he finished his story. It was a relief to get it all out. He’d never been able to before.


	4. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just saying it here because I haven't yet. I own nothing. Also would love to hear thoughts and opinions.

“I have a few questions.” Piper spoke up.

“By all means” Cole encouraged.

“Why is Chris currently sleeping under my bed?” Piper asked.

“At first he would share a bed with you. When you started to have bad days he got his own bed. When he had a nightmare he sought you for comfort. On your good days you welcomed him into your bed. On your bad days you’d shove him to the ground. Chris eventually learned to crawl under your bed on bad days. Soon you had a lot more bad days than good and Chris just started to crawl under your bed every time, he started spending every night under your bed. After you passed that’s where he continued to sleep. No matter what I did I couldn’t get him to sleep in his bed or yours. Chris hasn’t slept on a bed since he was five and a half.”

Leo thought that through and didn’t like what he’d heard. “You couldn’t force him to sleep on a bed?”

“I’m not going to strap my son down.” Cole grit out.

“He’s not your son” Leo said.

“Why did he let you carry him?” Piper cut in.

“He was tired.” Cole answered.

“So he likes to be carried?” Piper asked.

Cole sighed. “No, he hates being treated like a little kid. The only time I ever get away with it is when he’s exhausted himself, after a freak out.”

“So once he’s gathered his strength he’ll go back to his old self?” Piper wondered aloud.

“Basically” Cole agreed. “He’s a good kid just a bit eccentric. He’s had to be, growing up as he did. Chris doesn’t even remember living above ground. When a kid thinks that his home is the underworld you know he’s not going to let his guard down easily. Even the council doesn’t know that much about him.”

Leo couldn’t believe all he was hearing. He wanted to kick Cole out of the house, take Chris and put the boy in a plastic bubble before making sure that he slept in a bed, ate actual food and just took care of himself.

“So, not to be rude” Paige started, “What are you doing here?”

Cole looked at her annoyed, “I’m here to check on my son”

“Right but why now?” Paige continued to prod.

“It took me this long to create a return spell.” Cole answered.

“And when are you planning on doing that?” Phoebe asked.

“After Chris is recovered from his latest freak out” Cole answered. In truth he’d just wanted to make sure that his son was all right. He hadn’t expected to find him in the situation he had. Honestly Cole thought that Chris would have gained a lot of weight and been sleeping on a bed and consistently since he was a Halliwell, seems he’d misjudged his son. He’d thought that Chris would come clean as to whom he was.

“We can take care of Chris just fine.” Leo said icily, “By all means feel free to leave at any time.”

“I’m not leaving until I know my son is alright” Cole snapped.

“He’s not your son” Leo growled.

“Enough!” Piper called. “Leo as much as I hate to say it, Chris doesn’t trust you and thinks of Cole as his father. I can understand why to some point and in all honesty I just don’t think it’s wise for Cole to leave until Chris is calmed down again.”

Leo growled but agreed. He had plans anyways and he needed to work on them. “Just out of curiosity how is Chris when it comes to eating?”

Cole snorted. “He’s not a fan but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that the food is crap. I’m hoping it gets better with actual food available to him. Though I do still foresee some arguments given that he isn’t used to eating on a regular basis.”

Leo nodded, “I have some things to work on in the basement. Call if you need me”

“Alright” Piper agreed confused. Still Leo wasn’t arguing so she just let it alone.

“So…” Paige asked awkwardly, “now what?”

“Now. I am going to put my oldest to bed and then check on my youngest” Piper answered as she took Wyatt out of the playpen.

“Can you orb me back to Jason’s?” Phoebe asked Paige.

“Sure.” Paige said. They moved to each other and orbed out.

Cole stood up and went to his son. He had slept on the floor next to his son before and right now he just needed to be close to him.

“What are you doing?” Piper asked as she watched Cole drop to the floor.

“I’m going to stay with my son” Cole answered simply.

“Um…” Piper paused. “No offense but while I’m alright with Chris sleeping under me I don’t particularly want you there.”

Cole hesitated. He wanted to be near his son but he also understood Piper’s request. “Very well” he nodded. “I’ll be in the hall”

“There’s a couch downstairs” Piper offered.

“And my son is upstairs” Cole replied.

“Very well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Cole nodded and stepped out of the room. He sat down in the hall right outside of the door keeping his entire focus on his son.


	5. Breakfast

Chris jerked awake the following morning. He lay still listening for whatever it was that had awoken him. He heard the floorboards creek and saw a pair of bare feet walk over to the side of the bed. Sighing in relief Chris then flushed with embarrassment as he recalled the previous nights events. Breaking down in front of his father was one thing but to do so in front of everyone and then to have Piper present for everything that followed... Chris just didn't think he'd live it down.

Groaning, Chris knew that he couldn't stay under his mother's bed forever. Slowly he crept his way out and then tried to slink over to the door before Piper noticed. He didn't make it.

"Hey there sleepy head" Piper smiled.

"Morning Piper" Chris answered sheepishly.

There was a knock at the door and Chris bolted to answer it before Piper could say anymore.

"How are you feeling?" Cole asked upon seeing his son.

"I'm fine" Chris stated quickly

"Corner" Cole ordered immediately.

"What?" Chris asked confused. "Why?"

"You know you're not allowed to say that" Cole stated while taking Chris' arm and marching him over to an empty corner.

"I'm confused here" Piper cut in.

Cole pointed to Chris first, "You owe me ten minutes" Then he turned to Piper, "Mr. 'I'm fine' is not allowed to say those words. If he had it his way he'd always be fine"

"Need a little more here" Piper said.

Cole sighed, "By the time Chris was five and a half he'd learned the phrase 'I'm fine' and used it a lot. You would always believe him mainly because he would only go out on your bad days. As he got older it got worse. At one point the only words out of his mouth whenever someone asked how he was doing was 'I'm fine'. After he passed out from blood loss I forbid him from using that phrase. He needs to tell me how he's doing. Always."

"Got it" Piper nodded.

Chris huffed from his corner but knew better than to talk while he was in the corner. His Dad was strict about that.

"So what do you think Chris might like for breakfast?" Piper asked Cole.

"I honestly don't know" Cole admitted, "Just make whatever you'd like. Chris will try it."

"Well. Bring him downstairs when his times up will you" Piper instructed.

"Will do" Cole agreed. Cole then moved to sit on the edge of Piper's bed and wait out the rest of Chris' punishment.

At the end of ten torturously long minutes Chris finally heard the longed for words, "Your times up."

"Finally" Chris sighed.

Cole chuckled, "How are you doing?"

Chris was about to say 'I'm fine' again but caught himself. "I'm doing better. Still a little tired but nothing more."

Cole nodded. He doubted that was how Chris was really doing but it was better than 'I'm fine'. "So you're feeling better?"

"Yes." Chris agreed readily.

"Very well then." Cole stood up. "Listen Buddy..."

"You have to go back don't you?" Chris asked.

"This was only a temporary visit. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Cole admitted, "They need me back there still and I ..."

"It's alright Dad." Chris soothed. "I'm glad you came though"

"I love you Buddy." Cole said hugging his boy, "I just want what's best for you."

"I love you too Dad" Chris said hugging him back. "I'm gonna miss you"

"I miss you whenever you're in a different room." Cole said.

Chris chuckled and stepped back. "Well do you need me to help make a triquetra?"

"No" Cole answered, "There's one in the attic already until I leave."

"Very well then. When..."

"After breakfast" Cole answered. He clapped Chris on the shoulder and started steering them towards the door.

"I'm gonna skip breakfast" Chris said stopping any further movement. "I have some research I need to do"

"I don't think so" Cole replied as he picked Chris up.

Chris struggled in Cole's grasp. "Put me down"

"You have to eat Bud"

Chris tried to orb out until he remembered that Leo had taken his orbing abilities. That man just couldn't stop screwing with his life. Not that it really mattered at the moment. If he orbed out on his father he'd be spending the next year in the corner.

"Good morning" Paige greeted as the two entered the kitchen.

"Morning" Cole replied. He set Chris down on an empty chair at the table and then sat down next to him.

"I made pancakes" Piper smiled bringing over a massive plate of buttermilk pancakes.

Piper placed a cut up pancake on Wyatt's tray and then placed two pancakes on Chris' plate before passing the plate off to Phoebe.

Chris looked down at his plate and poked at the pancake with a fork in confusion.

"It's not gonna bite" Paige jested.

Cole sent Paige a glare before turning to his son. "Why don't you try it with some butter?"

"Butter?" Chris asked.

Piper felt near tears. Her son really knew nothing about food. "Here let me" she offered as she took the plate and put butter on the two pancakes along with a little syrup. She then cut the pancakes into pieces and placed the plate in front of her youngest.

Chris took his fork again and hesitantly put a piece of pancake on the end. He sniffed it first before bringing it to his mouth. The pancake was alright but a bit too sweet. He wasn't sure about the butter. He put the fork back down and pushed the plate away.

"What's wrong?" Piper asked in concern.

"Kind of... sweet" Chris answered.

"Oh." Piper replied. She wracked her brain as to a solution. She always ate her pancakes with butter and so did her sisters. Leo though ate his with peanut butter. Maybe Chris would prefer that. "What about peanut butter?"

"Peanut butter?" Chris asked.

Piper sighed. She decided to just take matters into her own hands and took Chris' plate back. She brought it to the kitchen and dropped it in the sink before getting a clean plate and the chunky peanut butter. She slathered two pancakes with peanut butter and syrup before cutting it up and placing it back in front of her son. "Try it now"

Chris looked down at the plate in front of him with disinterest. He'd tried the food once already and hadn't cared for it. Why would he want to try it again? He shook his head and pushed the plate away.

Cole sighed, "Just try it bud" he prodded. When Chris shook his head again Cole put a piece on his fork and lifted it to Chris' mouth. "Try it" he said again.

Chris lifted his hand to take the fork from his Dad but Cole held it back. "You had your chance"

Chris huffed but opened his mouth regardless. He knew the rules. The pancake tasted much better this time. It was really good.

"Like it?" Cole asked.

Chris merely nodded his head.

"Better than croop?" Cole chuckled handing the fork over to his son.

Chris snorted. "Almost everything is better than croop."

Piper smiled as she watched Chris eat another piece of pancake. At least he was eating. The boy was far too skinny.

Once again Chris stopped eating about halfway through his meal. Piper frowned, Chris had eaten the equivalent of one pancake. "Chris are you sure..."

"Full?" Cole questioned cutting Piper off.

Chris nodded and turned to his Dad. "Yeah"

"Alright" Cole sighed. He hated to do this but knew that he had to get back. Not to mention that Chris would be safe here now. He'd agreed to send Chris back not because he thought that Chris had a real chance of finding the evil who turned Wyatt though that would be wonderful. No Cole had agreed to this because he wanted his son safe. Unfortunately keeping Chris safe meant keeping Chris in the past. "I hate to do this to you bud but I need to be getting back"

"I understand" Chris said. He loved having his Dad here but the man was limiting his freedom. Chris needed to be able to focus on eliminating any possible threats to Wyatt and while here his Dad wouldn't allow that unless he also took breaks to eat and sleep which Chris didn't really want to do.

Cole placed a kiss to the top of Chris' head, hugged him one more time and shimmered to the attic where he assured himself one more time that he was doing what was best for his son before he left for the hell that awaited him in the future.


	6. What's This?

As soon as Chris knew that his Dad was gone he stood and made his way towards the attic and the book of shadows.

"Where do you think you're off to?" Piper asked.

"I have work to do" Chris replied.

"Oh no you don't" Piper said standing and moving to cut off her son's path.

"Well I would go after the next demon on my list however that proves difficult. Unless you'd be willing to convince Leo to give me back my orbing? Or even to lift the spell that forbids me from leaving this place?" Chris replied.

"No." Piper answered. "I think that you staying here is best."

Chris nearly growled in irritation as he stormed out of the kitchen. This was why he didn't want his mother knowing who he was. He couldn't care less about Phoebe, Paige or Leo knowing who he was but not Piper. Piper was not one to be trifled with when she was having a good day.

Piper sighed as she watched her youngest storm off. She really needed to find a way to get the boy to listen to her. There was only so long she could keep Chris locked in this house before the boy drove them all insane.

"Well." Paige cut into Piper's thoughts, "Um... thanks for the family breakfast."

"Yeah," Phoebe agreed, "It was... a good time"

"We're just gonna head off though," Paige said grabbing Phoebe's hand and orbing out.

Piper just shook her head and cleaned up the kitchen. After she finished she couldn't help but be curious as to what Leo could possibly be up to in the basement for so long? Curiosity eventually getting the better of her Piper picked up her eldest (alright she knows that Chris is physically older but he's still the youngest) and made her way down the basement steps.

As she was heading down the steps Piper heard Leo muttering what sounded like an incantation and then saw a slight glow. When she could finally see what Leo was doing she froze. This had to be a joke.

"What the hell is all this?" Piper demanded as she took in the furniture currently occupying the basement.

"Piper" Leo said surprised. He hadn't planned on telling her until everything was already set up.

Piper moved forward and set Wyatt in one of the large playpens before turning to Leo. "What exactly are you planning on doing with all of this?"

"I think you know what I'm planning Piper" Leo replied.

"You can't do this Leo" Piper admonished, "Chris is an adult."

Leo scoffed, "Chris is a child. Our child."

"That doesn't mean you can do this" Piper exclaimed waving her arms around at the furniture in the basement.

"Well what would you suggest then?" Leo demanded to know.

"We have to get him to take care of himself!" Piper said.

"HOW?!"

"I don't know!"

"That's my point" Leo sighed, "How do you force a magical child, thrice blessed, to take care of himself when he's never been taught to?"

"He's been taught to" Piper said.

"How do you know that?" Leo asked.

"Because Cole said that I raised him in the underworld and I would have taught my son how to take care of himself" Piper insisted.

"But you didn't Piper, or the future you didn't" holding up his hands to stave off the inevitable argument Leo continued. "As much as I distrust Cole I do believe he was telling the truth about a lot of Chris' childhood. Your future self took Chris to the underworld to keep him safe but that was hard, for the both of you. Chris was only three so he... adjusted but you weren't used to being so disconnected from your family. It ate away at you. I think your future self was depressed, that would be the dark days that Cole mentioned. Based on what Cole said you had a lot of dark days and they started when Chris was only four if not a little younger. Not only that but the underworld isn't the best place to get the necessary items to take care of a child. You all ate the same thing every meal for years. I don't think you could teach Chris to take care of himself."

Piper took in everything that Leo had said. She had to admit it made a lot of sense. "But I don't think that this is the best way."

"It is though Piper" Leo insisted.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Chris didn't get a childhood and he needs to have one." Seeing the confusion on Piper's face Leo elaborated. "Children are meant to have a childhood, they have to go through the bonding and the safety and the learning experiences to help shape them into who they become. Chris didn't have that. Chris lived the first three years of his life with an evil dictator who I'm sure doted on him but also wasn't a safe person for a child to be around. Wyatt..." Leo paused to collect himself, it was still hard to believe that it was Wyatt, the same little boy in the playpen who becomes the ruler or all evil in the future.

After having composed himself Leo continued, "Wyatt killed an innocent violently in front of a three year old. My question is, how many horrible things had Wyatt done to Chris or in front of Chris before that? Just because Chris orbed to future you after the innocent was killed doesn't mean that it was the first act of violence that Chris had seen. That has emotionally scarring effects on a child. Not to mention that Chris has next to no memory of living above ground. All Chris remembers is the underworld. He doesn't even know what food is! The only thing Chris remembers eating is what he dubbed 'croop' day after day, meal after meal. It's not healthy Piper. Not to mention that the boy doesn't sleep in bed but under one. That can't continue."

"I know that Leo" Piper said. She did know that Chris had issues but she still didn't see how this was the best way to solve them.

Leo could see the doubt written all over Piper's face. "He needs to have a chance at a childhood if he is ever to learn how to take care of himself. Children who are forced to grow up too fast are known to have emotional and social deficits. They are less likely to make friends, they don't like it when they're not in control, they cut ties with people easily, they can have short tempers, they're immature and don't always think through the consequences of their actions, impulsive, they're seen as strange by others their own age. It's not healthy Piper"

"But Chris isn't all of those things" Piper argued.


	7. Reasons

"No" Leo agreed, "He's not but he is a lot of them.

"I know that he's some of them. I don't know that I'd say a lot" Piper said.

Leo sighed. "Chris has no friends. Here or in the future. Cole even said that those in Chris' inner circle were his colleagues at best, that they didn't know him. He doesn't know how to make friends. Chris set up rooms for the children when he was a child himself and yet he surrounded himself with people twice his age or more. Chris either avoided those his own age because he didn't know how to deal with them or because they thought he was strange and shunned him."

"Chris isn't always impulsive, he does think things through and is an excellent strategist when he wants to be." Leo gave in some here, "However he does let snide comments slip out of his mouth all the time without thinking them through first. He also has a short temper when it comes to certain topics or if someone doesn't agree with him. He doesn't understand it when someone is being kind or calm around him; he takes it as sarcasm or as an attack on him. That's not healthy."

"He understands when someone is being kind to him" Piper tried to correct.

"Does he?" Leo asked. "The only person I've seen Chris even touch willingly is Cole. Chris doesn't even stand within an arms length of people if he can help it."

Piper had to think that through. Had she ever seen Chris touch one of them? Had any of them ever touched Chris? Honestly, she didn't think so. Chris was always standing off to the side or in the shadows. He was there; he would offer his opinion but nothing more.

"Not to mention that Chris does not like it when things aren't the way he wanted them to be" Leo continued. "Now I know he adjusts quickly to change but if you tell him no on something he won't take that for an answer. He bothers, begs, prods, wheedles and annoys you and the sisters until he gets his way. You three give in eventually just to get him off your backs."

Piper nodded her head in agreement. She and her sisters often gave into Chris on a demon hunt just to get him to leave them alone.

"As for the immaturity, well, I think Cole showed us just how far that goes don't you?"

"Chris was just tired," Piper tried, "Cole even said that Chris doesn't like to be carried or coddled unless it's right after a freak out"

"And that's another thing" Leo said, "The freak outs are Chris' bodies way of telling him it's had enough. Chris pushes himself until his body literally gives out on him eventually it's going to shut down completely."

Piper was stunned there. Leo couldn't literally mean that. "You think he's going to kill himself?"

"I think he's getting there" Leo admitted, "If the state his body is in was any sort of indication."

"He is really skinny." Piper admitted.

"Piper, Chris is so malnourished that you can count each and every one of his ribs. He's also not as tall as he should be without the glamor covering him up. He only comes to a couple of inches taller than you. Malnourishment can inhibit growth. He's not a healthy kid."

Piper hated to admit that Leo was right on a lot of points. She was still having a hard time wrapping her head around what Leo was fully intending to do however. "But is this all really necessary?"

"Yes." Leo insisted. "Piper I've only listed off the normal ramifications of being forced to grow up too soon. I haven't even touched on the fact that Chris grew up in the underworld."

"Why is that so big an issue?" Piper questioned.

"He's only ever eaten croop" Leo started to list, "He sleeps under your bed rather than in one of his own, he grew up around demons and feels more comfortable with them than he does with humans or witches. He thinks that a demon is his father." Leo said that last item with quite a bit of venom. "I'm willing to bet that he has no idea what Christmas, or thanksgiving or Halloween or any other holiday is given that he doesn't even know what food is. Chris was raised to be a soldier. Does he even know what a toy is? Or how to have fun? Or what fun even is? Does he know how to relax? All of these things aren't good for him."

"Of course he knows what the holidays are Leo" Piper said offended. "Do you really think that I'm so bad of a mother that I didn't teach my child what Christmas was, or that we didn't celebrate his birthday? Do you really think I never let him rest or play with toys? Do you really think that little of me?"

"No Piper I think that much of you" Leo replied.

"What?!"

"Piper, I think that you didn't teach Chris what holidays were because you had no way to celebrate them. How could you tell a child about Santa Clause and then have no way to get him a present, or a tree, or cookies and milk? How could you tell a child about the tooth fairy only to have nothing to put under his pillow? How could you let Chris put his guard down when you were being hunted by the source of all evil at all times while protecting yourselves from demons who wished to see you dead? How could you tell Chris about toys when you had none to give him?" Leo sighed and wrapped a crying Piper in a hug, "You could never have broken your son's heart like that so I think that you didn't tell him anything."

"You really think his life was that bad?" Piper cried.

"No" Leo admitted, "I think that only scratches the surface."

"So this is how you plan to fix it?" Piper asked.

"This is how I plan to start fixing it" Leo admitted. "It's all been enchanted so he can't use his magic while in it and he can't get out on his own."

Leo started walking to each item, explaining himself, "I made a crib so that he has to sleep on a bed not under one. He can't keep sleeping under a bed. The highchair is only if he refuses to eat. He's too skinny to be skipping meals and I would rather have him forced to sit and eat than have him running around chasing after demons all because we wouldn't use it. The playpens are so that he'll just stop and rest. Chris is always on the go and it is quite clear that his body is revolting against him because of it. I made three, one for the sunroom, one for the attic and one for our room. The one for our room is smaller than the other two, it'll fit in the old nursery and we can put the crib in Wyatt's room where the day bed currently sits. The changing table was just the final piece. I thought that since we were doing everything else we might as well go all out. Also, with us controlling where he can and can't go this much it would probably be wise."

Piper listened to all Leo had to say. It broke her heart that they were even contemplating this but Leo was right, Chris couldn't take care of himself. Chris also wasn't about to take a break to take care of himself unless he was forced to. If they didn't force the boy then his own body would. How many more times would Chris' body heal itself before it just gave in completely? Piper wouldn't let that happen. "Alright" she breathed. "I'll do it"

"Thank you" Leo said.


	8. Leo

Chris was up in the attic looking through the book of shadows to try and find a way to get his orbing back and break Piper’s spell. So far he wasn’t having very much luck. Still, he was persistent and would find a way eventually even if he had to make up spells until he either blew the house to pieces or got what he wanted. He’d done it before - once.

“Chris” Leo said hesitantly walking into the attic.

Chris gave Leo a perfunctory glance before turning back to the book. He had nothing to say to the man. Just because Leo now knew that he was Chris’ biological father didn’t mean that anything had changed. The Leo of his time had wanted nothing to do with him other than to blame him for the loss of the family. It wasn’t Chris’ fault that the cousins had died or that Wyatt had turned evil. It wasn’t his fault that Phoebe and Paige had died.

Chris had tried to keep everyone safe when they went out on missions but Leo, Phoebe and Paige hadn’t made that easy. The three of them had always acted as though nothing could hurt them, as though they were invincible. Chris supposed that attitude came from years of being under Wyatt’s protection, when nothing and no one had been allowed to lay a hand on them without repercussions. Now though that wasn’t the case and all the demons were aiming for them specifically.

Every mission they had gone out on Chris had tried to protect them but he also had to protect everyone else and complete the mission all at the same time. He had tried but Phoebe had thrown herself into a group of demons and had been overpowered at the same time that Leo had started walking across the firing line towards the supplies they were after and Paige had started orbing into the cell to rescue the innocent they came for. There was only so much Chris could do while still trying to focus on the battle.

As time had gone on Leo had become more and more upset. Once the man had figured out that despite how he treated Chris the boy wouldn’t let anything happen to him he’d taken full advantage of it. Whenever he was on a mission Leo had taken as many needless risks as he wanted knowing full well that Chris would stop anything coming at him. Chris of course had protected Leo but he had also put his own safety at risk and had paid for it multiple times. Didn’t matter that Chris hated Leo, all that mattered was that his mother had loved Leo and Chris would always protect those his mother had loved.

Having Leo in the attic with him now annoyed Chris. He didn’t want to deal with this man; he didn’t want to have to worry about the safety of anyone other than Wyatt. Wyatt was the reason he came back to the past and Wyatt was the reason he needed his orbing back.

“Chris” Leo repeated. He was becoming slightly annoyed that his son was ignoring him.

Chris turned his full attention back to the book. He had lots of experience with ignoring Leo. The man had always tried to take control of things in the future but Chris had learned quickly that Leo had no clue what he was doing and was best ignored.

“Chris,” Leo grit out.

When he received no response again Leo merely walked over to Chris and, ignoring the stiffness of the boy, took him by the arm and orbed them downstairs to the kitchen.

“What the hell!” Chris cried indignantly as he yanked his arm away from Leo.

“Language.” Leo corrected immediately.

Chris was glaring at Leo and fully intended to curse the man out when his mother decided to join them.

“Is everyone ready for lunch?” Piper asked coming in from the kitchen with a plate of food in her hands.

Chris wasn’t in the mood for this. He successfully pulled his arm out of Leo’s grasp and started stomping back towards the stairs. It would have gone a lot faster had he been able to orb but given Leo’s attitude Chris highly doubted he would be getting that ability back any time soon. If he was stuck here then he was going to do research, make potions and write down any vanquishing spells that he could do without the power of three.

Chris got a total of three feet before his arm was once again grasped.

“It’s time for lunch” Leo stated.

“Not hungry.” Chris replied. “Now let go.”

Leo just shook his head and picked Chris up. Leo was fully prepared for the boy to fight him thus the fists that started pounding against his back wasn’t a surprise.

Before Chris could fully get over the shock of what was happening to him he had started fighting. It was a natural reflex for him – fight first ask questions later. Unfortunately he wasn’t at all sure how to fight being strapped in a high chair. In all fairness, if was his first experience with such a contraption.

“What the hell!” Chris screamed as soon as he started to grasp that he was in a chair.

“Just relax Chris.” Leo tried as he worked on moving Chris’ hands to strap the boy in.

Piper saw the trouble Leo was having and went over to help. “You take his hands, I’ll strap him in.”

Quickly the two parents had their youngest son secured into the high chair and the tray snapped in front. While they were happy with their success Chris was not.

“LET ME OUT!” Chris demanded. To his irritation Piper and Leo ignored him and went about getting Wyatt situated and lunch served onto plates.

Chris tried everything he could think of to get out of the high chair. He attempted to use every power he had only to find that none of them worked while he was trapped in the chair. After a full twenty minutes the boy finally slumped back exhausted and really pissed off.


	9. Meat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK. Well, in all honesty I wasn't going to do much with this story because it didn't really seem that anyone was interested. That being said anyone reading can think one minecraftcutest (off of wattpad) for this chapter.

Once Chris had admitted defeat Piper placed a plate on his tray. “Eat up sweetie.”

Chris shot Piper a confused look. “We’ve already eaten once today.”

“Yes.” Piper replied, “We had breakfast.”

Chris nodded in agreement, “So why are we eating again?”

This instantly got the attention of both Piper and Leo. They shared a concerned glance with each other before turning back to their youngest son.

“There are three meals a day Chris.” Piper said.

“Yes.” Chris agreed.

“So you are supposed to eat three times a day.” Leo added.

Now it was Chris that didn’t understand. “No, you eat at one of the three meals a day.”

The first thought that came to Leo and Piper’s minds was what? “Who told you that?” Piper asked hesitantly.

“You” Chris replied immediately. Realizing his mistake he quickly corrected himself “I mean my mother… you in the future?”

Piper looked to Leo in concern. She was unsure what to do with that information. Why had she… her future self, told Chris that they were only to eat once a day?

Leo had a better idea as to why Chris might have been told this. “Is food scarce in the future?”

“Not really” Chris replied, “We have enough to feed everyone at least twice a day, three times on some days”

“When your mother made the rule of only eating once a day was there even less food?” Leo asked.

“We had just started our garden, food takes time to grow” Chris answered.

“What all did we plant in our garden?” Piper asked. She understood now why she might make a one meal a day rule. If they barely had enough food for one meal a day then there was no possible way she would tell her son to eat three. They’d run out of food before the new food was grown and the boy would starve.

“The only food that can grow in the underworld” Chris said.

“Well I don’t know what those are exactly” Piper admitted. She could see it instantly; the look Chris gave her, as though she’d just screwed up. As though she wasn’t the person he had mistaken her for.

Chris sighed, “Rhubarb, bean sprouts, chicory, and mushrooms. And when mixed together it makes croop.”

Both Piper and Leo grimaced. That did not sound like a very filling meal nor a very pleasant meal.

“And you ate that every day?” Leo asked.

Rolling his eyes and giving Leo his most patented, ‘you’re a moron’ look Chris nodded his head in the affirmative.

“Just curious” Piper asked having literally just thought of this face two seconds ago, “If you have enough food for everyone to eat twice, even three times, a day then why do you only eat once a day still?”

“Because my mom said” Chris answered simply.

Piper looked to Leo in surprise. Chris had said that one answer as though it were a face, as though it made the utmost sense and there was no possible way to dispute it. Did the boy really have that much faith in his mother’s teachings?

“Well that was probably for the best at the time but right now you are in the past and there is an overabundance of food here…”

Chris scoffed, “Yes. I’ve noticed. It’s sickening”

Leo ignored the interruption and plowed on anyway, “And as such we have more than enough food to eat three meals a day and better yet we have different food at each meal”

Piper took that as her cue and gestured to the chicken, cheese, and lettuce sandwich along with grapes sitting on a plate on Chris’ tray. “Why don’t you try the sandwich? I think you’ll like chicken”

Chris shot Piper a confused glance. Chicken? What was that? “Chicken?”

Piper felt like crying. “It’s a type of meat”

“Meat?”

Leo could see his wife was having a hard time with this. He understood that she was a mother and felt as though she had failed her youngest. Still, he also understood that Chris had lived off of nothing but a mix made from four items. If the food provided for Chris wasn’t one of those four items then the boy would know nothing about it.

It was at this time that baby Wyatt decided he was tired of being ignored. He had finished his lunch and wanted some attention. To get his point across he threw his spoon to the ground.

Piper turned to Wyatt leaving Leo to try and get Chris to eat.

“Meat is… a type of protein that we get from animals”

“Like dogs?” Chris asked in disgust. He didn’t want to eat a dog.

“No. Like chickens, or cows, or pigs. Typically animals that live on a farm. But not dogs.”

Chris nodded his head in understanding. He wasn’t quite sure what Leo was saying but at least it wasn’t dogs. Curiously, he poked at the sandwich almost wondering if the chicken would spring to life. When it remained motionless he picked up a square and sniffed it.

It did smell good.

Hesitantly, Chris pulled a piece of chicken off of the sandwich and bit into it. It wasn’t bad.

Leo watched in slight amusement as Chris took all the chicken off of his sandwich and ate just the chicken.

Once Chris finished the chicken he started repeating the process with the cheese. He wasn’t so sure about the thin white cheese. “What’s this?”

“Asiago” Piper answered when she saw what her son was holding up. “I was trying something a little different” After that she took Wyatt out and headed towards the nursery.

Chris merely scowled at the cheese and put it back down. Lastly, he put a grape into his mouth before spitting it back out. It was too sour.

“Not a fan of green grapes huh?” Leo asked as he tried not to chuckle.

“Green grapes?” Chris didn’t understand. He thought they were just grapes.

“There are three different colors of grapes, green, red and black.” Leo explained. “The green are the most sour and the black and the least. Well in my experience”

Chris frowned but didn’t respond as he pushed his plate away. “I ate. Now let me out”

Leo sighed but conceded. Chris did eat. He hadn’t finished everything on his plate but he had tried everything and had eaten the turkey so that was good. “Alright”

Chris was pleased when Leo agreed to let him out of the high chair. He didn’t like it. Nor did he appreciate not being able to use his powers or get out of it on his own. What he hadn’t been expecting was for Leo to then orb the two of them to the nursery. Before he understood what was happening on Chris felt himself lying on his back on a soft pad. “What’s going on?”


End file.
